Introduction

The trendy brand Yeezy has, over time, continued to live in the hearts of all. In discussing Yeezy History as a case study, there’s, of course, an unavoidable name. The brand is not only popular because of its affiliation with the Grammy rap artist Kanye West. It is also famous for its fleet of unique products which they release in the market since their inception into the footwear industry.

We cannot mention the brand name without mentioning the name Kanye. This is no shocker as the rap artist has proven and shown determination over time. Even better, he has always gone ahead and worked for whatever it was. We’ve seen him try, and of course, excel in a list of things.

Kanye, who started in the hip-hop industry originally not as a rapper, has continued to climb the ladder of success. Starting initially as a beat producer, he didn’t lose sight of the goal. His debut album College Dropout in 2004 was a real head-turner.

His impact on the Hip hop fashion brand, over time, influenced people’s appearances and finally led to the launching of his shoes. It was still in Kanye’s habit to do more that his first partnership with Nike was born.

In the 2008 Grammy Awards Los Angeles, the first Nike Air Yeezy debuted. It was named Air Yeezy 1, and this was in tribute to his mom, who was recently deceased. Let’s talk about Yeezy’s history. It’s a brand you would want to know all about, its available products. 

• Yeezy’s history
• Yeezy’s Price List
• Products in Yeezy’s History
• How to identify Real vs Fake Yeezy’s

Yeezy’s History

Nike Air Yeezy’s history

Yeezy’s first-ever Nike Air Yeezy 1 production was limited in April and May in 2009. In the same year, there was another launch of silhouettes with Louis Vuitton. He, however, didn’t use the brand name Yeezy, as he named them after his close friends. His barber, manager, and vocal collaborator.

The numbers were in his favour with the launch results, and the fans were happy, so it was a win-win situation. After the build-up of fans waiting for a second edition of the Nike Yeezy Air, it wasn’t until two years later that they finally put it out in the open. It was first seen on Kobe Bryant and Robert Rodriguez.

In 2012, a year after the initial release of the Nike Air Yeezy 2, a new design of Pure Platinum and Black/Solar Red Styles was released. And yet again, it was a significant hit. It left fans in an uproar. There was no doubt that it was a win.

Things turned south with the partnership with Nike over time. According to Kanye, he was not allowed to release new products as often as he wanted. He complained they were denying him some rights he should be having over the partnership.

After a series of unfriendly back and forth, publicly calling out and its likes, the contract finally came to an end. It lasted for 5 years. In 2013, after the release of Air Yeezy 2.

Adidas Yeezy Season

Despite being known as the Adidas Yeezy collaboration, it is a collaboration between the German sportswear manufacturer Adidas and the ever-soaring rap artist and entrepreneur Kanye West. It hasn’t always been the case with the brand.

The release of the first product was in February 2015. After the confirmation of their collaboration, Yeezy season 1 was launched.

From there, it was the top for both parties as Yeezy seasons. Seasons 1, 2, and 3 all recorded commendable sales after release. His status in the entertainment industry was also a significant plus. This gained the brand various endorsements and celebrity appearances on the release occasions of the various seasons.

Numbers they say don’t lie. And so, in 2019, due to the progress of the collaboration, there was an extension of the contract between both brands. Their partnership continued, and in January 2018, they were already in their 6th season.

Yeezy’s History Price List 

A series of products from the Adidas Yeezy collaboration have various price tags that all products are undoubtedly worth. Here are some of the products and price tags from 2019 and 2021.

• It was in 2021, the YZY Boost 350 V2 came in Ash blue and Ash stone. They both sold for $220.
• The YZY Boost 380 came in Covellite and Yecoraite Ref at $230 pere.

• Yeezy 450 came in Cloud white, at $200
• YZY 500high had Shale warm and Mist slate, at $220 each.

• The YZY Foam runner sells for $80 in Sand and Moon grey colors.
• YZY Boost 700 is $240 in Sun color

• Yeezy 700 V2 in Cream is $300
• The Yeezy QNTM in Sea teal is $250
• Yeezy 700 V3, Kyante $200
• In 2019 The YZY Powerphase collection came in Quiet grey, Clear brown, and Simple brown. This all sold for $120.
• Still 2019 The YZY Boost 3500 V2 came in Black, Synth, Landmark, Antlia, and Cloud white Ref. They all went for $220 except for the Landmark Ref, which may go as high as $260.

Products made in Yeezy’s History

Over its long years of being in the market, a good number of products have made it to the market, and some of them include;

Yeezy Boost 750

After the partnership between Yeezy and Adidas, the Yeezy Boost 750 in light brown color was released in December 2013. The initial number that they released was 9000 pairs, and they all sold out in 10 minutes. It was later made available for retail in February 2014.

Yeezy Boost 350

It was the brands’ introduction to prime Knit technology. They first made it with a combination of petroleum base ethylene-vinyl acetate. A second version was, however, made in 2016 and was called “Beluga.”

Yeezy 950

As part of the Yeezy season 1 collection, it came in various colors. The release was in October 2015 and was sold at specific online and retail stores.

Yeezy 350 Cleat

The Cleat was a football boost cleat and made its first appearance at the NFL kickoffs. They, however, did not conform with the NFL uniform policy due to the color of its base. 

Yeezy Powerphase Calabasas

The release of the retro sneakers was in March 2017. It was followed by the release of a tonal grey of the design in December 2017 and a core black shortly after in March 2018. It was an upgrade from an 80’s trainer in the Adidas collection. 

Yeezy 500

The announcement of the release was in December 2017, with pre-order options available for March 2018. After its initial colorway of desert rat, it came in another colorway known as slate.

Yeezy slide

The first-ever released slides were with EVA foam. Its release was in December 2019 in bone color.

Yeezy Foam Runner

It is the first Adidas Yeezy shoe in the United States, and it was first exclusive through the Yeezy supply in June 2020. The first series had a color named “Ararat.” 

How to identify real vs fake Yeezy product

As with every other renowned product, there is a significant threat that is their common enemy: fake products. However, let’s discuss some pointers in Yeezy’s history that these fake products cannot get right. This, of course, is a plus for the rest of us that want the real thing. Some of them include;

• Shipping details; so if you purchased your shoes from an online store, there are details that you should watch out for. Every shoe comes with a tag that contains the serial number and the size of your shoe. This detail is also on the box of your shoe. Since every Yeezy shoe has its serial number, you would want to ensure that the details on the shoe and the box match.

• Middle stitching is a giveaway; you would have noticed the usual heavy stitching in the middle of your Yeezy shoes by now. The stitching of the original usually extends to the outsole every time.
• The logo on the side. The logos on the sides of the shoe are usually on equal sides. Putting the pair side by side can tell if one is off. You can check and compare its fonts with those used to write the YZY and the Adidas logo.
• Wave pattern; the wave pattern of Yeezy is a signature, and they can never go wrong with it. This is why you can quickly tell a counterfeit. The signature wave has a bit of irregularity and goes towards a sideways pattern. The counterfeits might attempt taking their patterns up and down.

Conclusion

When it comes to Yeezy’s history, Kanye is an important name. Some other brands have collaborated with Kanye, aside from Adidas’s collaboration. He collaborated with Bape, and they both created the then “College Dropout” shoes following his song. It didn’t, however, make as many sales as his recent products.

He also worked with Louis Vuitton, where he did a couple of shoe designs. There was at some point a partnership with Giuseppe Zanotti. And as mentioned earlier, a partnership of 5 years with the renowned Nike brand. The Yeezy history is, however, incomplete without mentioning its clothing options.

The collection had a series of sweat pants and jackets. Even though the footwear collection gets massive sales, the same does not apply to the clothing collection. It was still in the beginning phase of his partnership that Adidas announced they would no longer be part of the clothing line.

After the declaration of Adidas, Kanye had no partners for the clothing line. They, however, reintroduced it into their contract.